Supporting means for overhead garage doors



Sept. 23, 1941. ss 2,257,032

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOORS Filed Oct. 9, 1940 I 5 Sheets-Sheet l r a e l =/Z w I Q 000 l I ,9 L l Invenibr Her/W47! gas A ifomey Sept. 23, 1941.

' H. E. BASS SUPPORTING MEANS FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 9, 1940 Inventor Her/nah E'ass A itorney H. E. BASS Sept. 23, 1941.

SUPPORTING MEANS FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOORS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Oct. 9, 1940 flrmmn Bass I gay] I A iiomy Patented Sept. 23, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR OVERHEAD GARAGE DOORS 1 Claim.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in overhead doors particularly for garages and has for its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of this character embodying a construction and arrangement which is such that the door may be opened and closed with a minimum of effort.

Another very important object of the invention is to provide an overhead door of the aforementioned character comprising novel means for mounting said door on the garage or other build-. ing for swinging movement to open and closed position.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an overhead door of the character described which will be comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable, highly eflicient and reliable in use, light in weight, safe, quiet and which may be manufactured and installed at low cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of the invention will become ap-- parent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, and wherein- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through the front portion of a garage equipped with a door constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing said door in closed position.

Figure 2 is a view substantially similar to Figure 1 but showing the door in open position.

Figure 3 is a view in horizontal section, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a detail view in vertical section through one of the counterweights, taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a detail view in side elevation of one of the bearings.

Figure 6 is a detail view in perspective, illustrating the method of mounting the bearings on the studs of the garage.

Figure '7 is a detail view in perspective of one of the trunnions.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen that the reference numeral I designates generally the front portion of a garage which is provided with a door frame. 2 in its front end. Extending between pairs of studs 3 on opposite sides of the garage I and adjacent the door frame 2, are horizontal bearings 4. The studs 3 which support the bearings 4 are notched or recessed at I to accommodate the end portions of said bearings. This is shown to advantage in Figure 6 of the drawings. I

' closing said door.

The bearings 4 are of wood or other. suitable material. Formed in the upper portions of the bearings 4 are wide, substantially V-shaped recesses 6. As best seen in Figure 5 of the drawings, the recesses 6 are formed to provide curved crotch portions 1 which merge with short, acutely inclined back walls 8 and comparatively long, gradually inclined front walls 9.

The reference numeral l0 designates a door of suitable construction which is adapted to close the opening defined by the frame 2. The door 10 is rigidly secured in any suitable manner on one end of pairs of rearwardly converging arms H and I2. The inner or rear ends of the arms II are rigidly secured to intermediate portions of the comparatively long lower arms I! through the medium of substantially ovate-lanceolate trunnions l3 which are joumaled in the recesses 6 for mounting the door In for swinging movement on the bearings 4. The trunnions I! are rigidly secured in any suitable manner to the outer sides of the arms II and I2.

Mounted for longitudinal adjustment on the rear or inner end portions of the comparatively long lower arms l2 are counterweights l4 which may be of any suitable material, preferably concrete. The counterweights i4 have formed in their inner faces diagonal channels I! which acc'ommodate the arms l'2. The rear or inner end portions of the arms l2 are provided with spaced holes IS in which bolts I! are selectively insertable for adjustably securing the counterweights l4 on said arms. It will beobserved that'the construction of the frame work of the garage is such as not to interfere with the travel of the counterweights H which are mounted on the outer sides of the arms l2.

It is thought that the manner of operating the door will be readily apparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Handles l8 and I! are provided, respectively, on the outside and the inside of the door Hi to facilitate opening and When the door i0 is closed said door is positioned between the side members of the frame 2 with its upper portion in abutting engagement with the lintel 20. Of

course, the door is opened by pulling upwardly' counterweights I 4. As seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, the door II], when in open position, is

slightly inclined with its lower portion engaged beneath the lintel 20. Suitable shock absorbers may, if desired, be provided in the garage for engagement by the door it when said door reaches "open position. The trunnions i3 are on the comparatively long, gradually inclined front walls 9 of said recesses 15 when said door is in closed position. When the bearing members 4 are of wood, the material cut therefrom in forming the recesses 8 may be used for making the trunnions i3.

It is believed that the many advantages of an overhead garage door constructed in accordance with the present invention will be readily understood and although a preferred embodiment is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood that changes in the-details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to which will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed. a

What is claimed is: Supporting means for an overhead garage doorv comprising a bearing member mounted horizontally on one side wall of a garage in spaced relation to the door opening of said garage, said bearing member having a wide substantiallyv-shaped recess in its upper portion, said recess having a curved crotch portion merging with a short obliquely inclined rear wall and a comparatively long gradually inclined front wall, a pair 01' comparatively long and short inwardly converging arms having front ends rigidly secured to said door, means securing the rear end of the short arm to an intermediate portion of the long arm including a trunnion, said trunnion being secured to the outer sides of the arms and journaled in said recess for mounting the door for swinging movement in a vertical plane on the bearing member, said trunnion being 01' substantially ovate-lanc'eolate form, and engageable with the rear wall of the recess when the door is in open position and with the front wall of said recess when the door is in closed position to thereby establish the opened and closed positions of said door, and a counterweight mounted on the rear end of the comparatively long arm to balance said door. I

. HERMAN E. BASS. 

